Professor Ping Yan LAM
MBBS (HK), MMed-PH (S’pore), FHKAM (Community Medicine), FFPH (UK), FHKCCM, FRACMA, DMJ-Clin, DMJ-Path (Lond)

Honorary Professor, School of Public Health and Primary Care
Director of Health, Department of Health, Hong Kong SAR Government

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Dr. P. Y. Lam graduated from the Medical School of University of Hong Kong in 1977.  Following internship, he joined the then Medical and Health Department as a trainee forensic pathologist in 1978.  After four years of local service and training, he received Government sponsorship to undertake a one-year post-graduate attachment in forensic medicine in Guy’s Hospital Medical School in 1982.  During this period of training, he obtained qualifications both in forensic pathology and clinical forensic medicine.  He returned to Hong Kong in 1983 and was promoted to the rank of Senior Forensic Pathologist in January 1984.

Dr. Lam left the Forensic Pathology Service in mid-1985 to take up clinical appointments in general practice and accident and emergency service.  He was recruited to serve as junior directorate officer (Principal Medical Officer) with the establishment of the Department of Health in 1989.  In 1992 he was awarded another Government scholarship to undertake a postgraduate programme in Public Health at the National University of Singapore.  On return, he served as Chief Port Health Officer and Community Physician in early 1993.  He rose to the ranks of Assistant Director of Health in September 1993, Deputy Director of Health in June 1996 and Director of Health in August 2003.

Dr. Lam has had a wide range of exposure in Public Health, ranging from narcotics administration, methadone programme, communicable disease control, food safety and health regulation.  He has a personal interest in drug-related matters and health regulation.  During his tenure he has, amongst other achievements, brought up-to-date the Methadone Treatment Programme, successfully controlled a massive outbreak of tetanus amongst drug abusers, introduced various measures to control the improper supply of psychotropic medicine, terminated an outbreak caused by clenbuterol tainted pork, launched a tobacco cessation programme and established a Tobacco Control Office.  He is one of the key persons responsible for designing the infrastructure for regulation of traditional Chinese medicine in Hong Kong.  He has served on a number of occasions as temporary advisor to the World Health Organization on policy and strategy of development of traditional medicine.  In 2001 he served as Chairman of an ad-hoc committee to prepare the first draft of the strategy document for the development of traditional medicine in the Western Pacific Region of the World Health Organization.  During the SARS outbreak in 2003, he was the lead officer for implementing border control and various isolation and quarantine measures.  His current priorities include communicable disease control, health promotion, tobacco control and regulation of traditional Chinese Medicine.